Re: Tangos Little Bit of Honesty Thread 2023

[mauveangel09]

I'm off having a little holiday in Southwold for rest and recuperation. (I had a knee replacement in May which went very well then a fall three weeks ago which put me in rehab!) I'm making progress but doing these notes on my phone. Short and sweet.

Wish I could be as succinct as you with my posts! Have a restful break in Southwold - I think it is a lovely place

[B4p]

Apart from Shirley looking like a Vulcan from Star Trek I didn't think anyone had drawn the short straw last night.
That made me choke on my coffee. There have been so many comments about Shirley's hairstyle last night - Flapper, Tinkerbell, etc but yours is the best  

Angela S and Carlos - Viennese Waltz  7 from me.   Although there was plenty of content and they were dancing all round all the floor, it seemed a bit frenetic for a Viennese Waltz.  Motsi seemed to want it to be gentler but impossible with the music that was given.  I wasn't blown away with it but I like the fact that Angela has now done several different styles of dance and has coped well.   She has said herself that she dances on her toes too much - with the Irish dancing background, so hope she can start to master the ballroom and latin feet.  I do like her.
I like Angela S too. I think she has potential. I do think that Carlos can sometimes give over-ambitious choreography right from day 1.


Angela R and Kai - 8 -  I'm  trying not to indulge in the 'isn't she great for her age' -  I just really enjoyed the routine and the way she was able show incredible balance and agility which is half of the rumba.  The addition of some rumba walks and more rumba steps would have pushed this to a 9 for me and perhaps going forward they need to move away from the 'look what she can do' type routines. However   I thought she looked gorgeous in the dress and hair style.
I thought that voluminous puffed-out skirt hid a multitude of sins. If she had worn a simpler sheath-style Rumba dress like previous contestants, or even a floaty dress where her legs could have been seen more easily, I think there would have been more mention of her lack of hip action. The judges do seem to be continually fawning and falling over themselves to worship at the altar of our blessed saint. A little critique now and then would seem fairer on the other contestants.

Bobby and Dianne - 7 -  For me the height difference really showed in this dance unfortunately and it just looked a bit wrong although nothing can be done.   On the other hand, it was all done in hold and he danced the content well.   I can see why he has been partnered with Dianne but I feel she would have been equally well partnered with Adam (instead of Luba) and leaving Nadiya for Bobby.  I think Diamonds said the same.
Height-wise wise Bobby would have suited Nadiya better, but I'm not sure her choreography is as strong as Dianes.

[B4p]

I'm off having a little holiday in Southwold for rest and recuperation. (I had a knee replacement in May which went very well then a fall three weeks ago which put me in rehab!)

This happened to a friend of mine, she fell downstairs after a knee replacement and landed with her knee bent underneath her. She had to return to hospital for restitching and allsorts. I would imagine the pain would have been excruciating in either scenario. Hope you are now starting to mend and mobilise. Slow and steady wins the race. Hope you're feeling better soon

[diamondsandpearls]

Well!  That was a turn up for the books.  As our old friend Sid said, it was like watching a Strictly show from 2008 and all the better for it.

The tunes (most anyway) and the concepts matched the dances, (most) of the choregraphy had lots of good basic steps and, best of all, the frocks were gorgeous.  

Zara's topped my list since as well as godets galore and a maribou trim on the hem, she had a shoulder waft. Yes, an actual arm hanky!  Not seen since about 2010, and I've missed then so, so much.  In a perfect world she would have had two, one from each shoulder, but one one is a considerable improvement on none and I'll take what I can get.

Luba looked gorgeous in her blue gown.  Lot's of wafty bits on the skirt and some lovely beading going up to the high neck. And Ellie got a real, proper Samba dress - yay!

The only one I wasn't keen on was Angela S'.  Colour and style didn't quite do it for me.  In another week it might have been the best of a bad bunch, so I shouldn't really complain.  But it stuck out in the generally high standard of this week. Oh, and I also didn't like the colour of Shirley's dress - too much like mint ice cream.  Her hair was a bit strange too - my cousin asked why her hair had been styled like Disney's Tinkerbell... On the other hand Motsi looked magnificent in the silver suit and the colour really, really suited her.

But quietly stealing the thunder in the glamour stakes in the background of the Clauditorium was the ever-stunning Nadiya.  Ten out of ten.

My views on my favourite dances for once coincided with the scoreboard.  How Layton didn't get a ten, considering Eddie's award of Ten from Shirley last week, is beyond me.  And I loved his outfit and I shall be borrowing it for the work's Christmas do.  Look out for the 'who wore it best?'  photo in about mid December.

And if Nigel asked me to Salsa with him I would find it very hard to turn him down...

Felt Ellie might have been undermarked, also Bobbie (think I watched a different dance to the judges).  Angela R definitely over marked; she's like Felicity Kendal - they're very bendy and do marvelous splits and kicks with their very good legs, but are quite wobbly and deficient in any real technique other than an ok frame. It was a very, very basic routine and we are in week 4 now. (Yes, yes, I know, she's 104 and not many people could do that... but actually, splits aside I know a fair few people in their 70s and 80s who absolutely could and would have a better core and thus be less wobbly and might actually do more complex choreography).  I'm honestly not as impressed as the rest of the nation or the judges.

Krishnan continues to please me - he is just such a lovely person, who has wholeheartedly embraced the Strictly experience, that even if came down on a rocket or rolled on the floor like Tugboat Annie I'd probably still enjoy watching him. Lauren is really proving herself as a pro and they have a great partnership.

Anyway, as a week, I really enjoyed that.  Could do with more of the same next week please.

[diamondsandpearls]

I agree very much with what you say about Angela B4p, and I'm SO glad that I'm not the only one not worshiping her by dint of her age.

I did indeed say Bobby needed someone taller, eg Nadiya. But I disagree that Nadiya isn't as strong as Dianne on choreography. Dianne is by no means as awful as Karen, but she's not the best either and I think Nadiya easily matches her (she did some superb routines with Dan Walker)

[diamondsandpearls]

A small aside:

Karen looked like she was plotting to put cyanide in the judge's drinks after their no-holds barred (particularly from Shirley) critique...

[jingle]

Aaagh, yet again I'm having problems posting, my computer seems to jump back to the homepage and I lose all my text. Anyhow, will keep this very brief,

Certainly the right person left this week, I liked Jody but the salsa just didn't suit him at all.

Not quite so obvious who will go next. I think Eddie had a bad week to be in the bottom two, but will probably bounce back next week. Zara may be in trouble if she gets a fast latin, which doesn't suit her so well. To be honest, the contestant who's starting to grate on me a bit is Angela R. I'm just not seeing what the judges are seeing, yes she's flexible but her posture is poor and Kai steers her round. Beginning to suspect the story arc is for Angela to get to Blackpool, and that's that.

Didn't really have a favourite dance this week, possibly Nigel's salsa. Just cannot get interested in Layton at all, there's ringers and then there's mega-ringers, and he's in the latter category in my eyes.

My unexpected favourite contestant at the moment is Krishnan. Doubt he'll make it much further in the competition, but there's a charm and genuine enthusiasm which makes him very endearing.

[jingle]

Great to see you back here Twirlie and Moova, sounds like you've both had painful injuries recently.

Wishing you both a very speedy recovery

[B4p]

A small aside:

Karen looked like she was plotting to put cyanide in the judge's drinks after their no-holds barred (particularly from Shirley) critique...

She had the same look the week they did the Cha-cha, and last week, until the Clauditorium scores when Shirley gave them the 10, then she actually smiled. She's not looked happy this year, like a truculent teen chewing a wasp, but I gather she's had some flack on social media, and there's trouble in su casa, so I'll cut her some slack.

[B4p]

My unexpected favourite contestant at the moment is Krishnan. Doubt he'll make it much further in the competition, but there's a charm and genuine enthusiasm which makes him very endearing.

I'm glad the judges are not starting to see him as Les mark 2 the comedy figure. He's giving it a good go, and is self-deprecating and humble. I look forward to his next ballroom.

I agree that it was Jody's time to go, and he probably was struggling more than the others. Shame he didn't get the chance to do a nice slow Waltz. I still think he was stitched up with the dances he was given.

[Twirlie]

,

B4p wrote
This happened to a friend of mine, she fell downstairs after a knee replacement and landed with her knee bent underneath her. .

I was a little more talented. I managed to fall UP stairs!

[diamondsandpearls]

To be honest, the contestant who's starting to grate on me a bit is Angela R. I'm just not seeing what the judges are seeing, yes she's flexible but her posture is poor and Kai steers her round. Beginning to suspect the story arc is for Angela to get to Blackpool, and that's that.

My unexpected favourite contestant at the moment is Krishnan. Doubt he'll make it much further in the competition, but there's a charm and genuine enthusiasm which makes him very endearing.

Interesting about Angela R... Seems it's not just me after all who finds her over-revered by the judges. Also, interesting thought about getting her to Blackpool. That's a long, LONG way off yet and I feel there are far more deserving people who should not lose theirs spot in favour of her.

I'd far rather Krishnan got there - for the exact reasons you've said. He is the kind of contestant every series of Strictly needs, and I'm so glad he's fitting the bill so ably this year.

[fiftynotout]

How lovely to see so many of you back on the forum

No review of the weekend’s shows from me but a quick rundown of what I see so far:-

Adam & Luba - haven’t set me alight as yet, the jury’s still out

Amanda & Giovanni - I’m a huge Gio fan and was disappointed with his partner but I’m warming to her

Angela R & Kai - good for her age but the fawning is really bugging me now

Angela S & Carlos - competent but not wow, has potential though

Annabelle & Johannes - what a sweetheart and her sporting ability will help enormously

Bobby & Dianne - a genuinely lovely young man, shame about the height discrepancy

Eddie & Karen - clearly has the moves, I think K has been distracted by the breakdown of her marriage

Ellie & Vito - very watchable, another contender

Krishnan & Lauren - I loved him from his first performance on week one, clearly loving it

Nigel & Katya - is it me or is he a tad arrogant? clearly another contender though

Zara & Graziano - another sweetheart, thought I was going to dislike her but don’t

I refuse to critique professional dancers so haven’t included Layton & Nikita

My first favourite is Krishnan but since he clearly won’t get past half way I’m hanging my hat on Bobby.

As to who might leave this week, without seeing their dances I’m going to say Adam but it really could be anybody from now on in…..

[mauveangel09]

I'm glad the judges are not starting to see him as Les mark 2 the comedy figure. He's giving it a good go, and is self-deprecating and humble. I look forward to his next ballroom.

I agree that it was Jody's time to go, and he probably was struggling more than the others. Shame he didn't get the chance to do a nice slow Waltz. I still think he was stitched up with the dances he was given.

Yes it was quite predictable about who left. Great shame, I also thought he had been stitched up with the dance that he got. The poor bloke had to go to hospital the previous week and then they go and give him a liftathon and an impossibly fast beat. Hardly confidence building. I suspect that Eddie hasn't really been taking it very seriously up until now but I was struck about how the cast seemed to genuinely like him and perhaps this was a wake up call. He could be so good but Karen is either struggling with taming him or is distracted with everything else that is going on with her. She doesn't seem 'there' at all.

Little more difficult to decide who will go out next although I suspect Zara had a bit of a bounce back vote this week.

[mauveangel09]

 

Just cannot get interested in Layton at all, there's ringers and then there's mega-ringers, and he's in the latter category in my eyes.

My unexpected favourite contestant at the moment is Krishnan. Doubt he'll make it much further in the competition, but there's a charm and genuine enthusiasm which makes him very endearing.

I think Krishnan might get a lot further as long as he keeps on improving - he seems to be growing on everyone and is so likeable. A real straightforward type of contestant in many ways and someone who is really embracing everything. I didn't think much of him on the first two shows but for me he's really taking off. I do love the expression 'mega ringer'

[CaledonianCraig]

A hectic week for me and have just watched the show on catch-up and the results show.

It was Jody's time to go as he was some way behind the rest this week. Shafted by tough dance choices I agree but got the gist he wasn't totally wrapped up in the experience so that will hinder performance levels.

I am sat here thinking what,the consequences for Strictly be if Leyton were to win?

On to this week and it becomes very tough to forecast the next to exit.

[B4p]

Annabel & Johannes (Charleston) - A slow start, 30 seconds not doing a lot. Not goofy, over the top, or varied enough for my taste. Too placed and sedate. I didn’t like the marching rhythm of the music track, it made it all a bit pedestrian for me. 5,7,7,8 (6)

Nigel & Katya (Foxtrot) - Loved the smokey atmosphere at the start although it took about 40 seconds to get into hold. What a shame he went wrong and got onto the wrong foot. It shook his concentration for sure. Great music. Great storyline. Gutted for him.
7,7,7,8, (7)

Eddie & Karen (Samba) - Good effort, although I think he was struggling with the choreography. I think his steps were too long in several places affecting his balance. Great musicality and energy, but his feet were all over the place inventing their own rhythms.
5,6,6,7, (6)

Krishnan & Lauren (Quickstep) - I enjoyed this. His joy in dancing is infectious. He’s happy, I’m happy. I liked his footwork. I liked the routine. I hope he stays around for awhile longer. 6,8,8,8, (8

Angela & Carlos (A.Smooth) - Quite nice and polite. I always feel that she’s a little ahead of the beat and rushing into the next move. It would be interesting to see her slowed down for a Rumba. I thought it a bit safe, and not as glamorous as other A.Smooths we’ve had. 6,7,7,8 (7)

Ellie & Vito (Paso Doble) - I wasn’t sure about the music, but it seemed to work well. I loved this. Loved the choreography, and the partnership. Ellie did a great job. Passionate, in synch, some lovely lines, and expressions. Probably my dance of the night. 9,10,9,9, (9)

Layton & Nikita (Salsa) - I liked the storyline of the dance-off. Great synchronicity. I liked how they kept swopping leaders. The lifts went well. They seem to be working more as a pair now instead of Layton trying to be the focus. 9,10,10,10, (9)

Bobby & Diane (V.Waltz) - I enjoy watching Bobby dance, he’s so elegant. His bottom sticks out a bit sometimes, but I think that’s the height discrepancy. He certainly was driving Diane around the floor. I agreed with Shirley that the Fleckerle was a bit loose, but I think that’s not surprising at the end of a swirling circular dance. 7,8,8,9, (8

Adam & Luba (C.Choice) - Another Street Dance. Not really my thing. 7,8,8,9, (7)

Zara & Graziano (A.Smooth) - She did well with the lifts, although I thought she fell out of the second one. The dance seemed more about pivots and lifts and didn’t really do much for me. 7,7,7,7, (6)

Angela R & Kai (A.Tango) - I enjoyed this. I thought Kai was gracious to say that he hadn’t done the choreography, which was intricate and stylish. I would have liked to see a little more expression on her face which seemed frozen into one expression of distain to me. I liked the mixture of lifts and close contact. I thought her footwork was neat and sharp. Great music. Great job. 8,9,8,9, (9)

[CaledonianCraig]

Okay here is my take on the dances from Week 4:-

Annabel and Johannes (Charleston): I didn't like the faffing in the mirror at the start. Once the dance really began there was a lot to like BUT as C.raig said there was no real swivel. I quite liked the dance as a whole though. A 6.5 from me.

Nigel and Katya (Foxtrot): A real shame he made that glaring error which threw him for a bit until he got himself back into the dance steps for the second half. It could have been very good but the error ruined that. A 6.5 from me.

Eddie and Karen (Samba): A dance I felt would suit him. Although he showed his rhythm and musicality I agreed with the judges who pointed out the errors. A bit wild and footwork not the best. A 6 from me.

Krishnan and Lauren (Quickstep): Not bad at all. He dealt with a very tricky dance with lots of steps very well and had good timing and caught the flavour of the dance. Loved his style, energy and passion right at the end. He is really loving this. A 7.5 from me.

Angela S and Carlos (American Smooth): I felt there were the odd error here and there but it was a nice routine without being spectacular. She needs to go to the next level you feel. A 6.5 from me.

Ellie and Vito (Paso Doble): What a great dance this was. She used her acting skills to great effect to get into character and it had drama, attack, accurate footwork and I loved the lifts at the end. Dance of the night for me. An 8.5 from me.

Layton and Nikita (Salsa): The professional couple's salsa was a little too stop-start at the beginning for me. Better second half though not a clean landing from one of the lifts. An 8 from me.

Bobby and Diane (Viennese Waltz): I wasn't keen on his outfit at all but despite this he danced it very well. My only gripe is when he gets into good positions I'd prefer he held the pose a bit longer. Lovely footwork though. An 8 from me.

Adam and Luba (Couples' Choice): Adam with his wildcard into the next round came across as a dance that can be seen down at any nightclub on a Friday night. I did quite liked their use of the chairs in the dance. Way overmarked for me. A 7 from me. PS Why can't we have fairness and just have a couples' choice week where all couples do a couples choice dance.

Zara and Graziano (American Smooth): She looked ponderous and awkward at the start and she seemed to lack style and grace. I agree with C.raig in that the saviour of the dance were the lifts which were very good. A 6.5 from me.

Angela R and Kai (Argentine Tango): A neat and tidy dance. It was not the most difficult Argentine Tango but what she had to do she did elegantly with some lovely lines. Very good choreography. An 8 from me.

I feel Eddie will be in the dance off with perhaps Zara or Annabel (I hope not) in there.

[fiftynotout]

All in all I think the judges leaderboard fairly reflects the standard of dance last night with the professional partnership rightly at the top (they won’t win once the decision is down to the GBP).

We’re beginning to see who’s improving and who’s already plateaued. My firm favourites are now Krishnan, Bobby, Ellie and Zara. I suspect Eddie will find himself in the dance off again but not sure who with.

[mauveangel09]

Hi all
I've had a hectic week so unable to come on before now, but I've got next week off - hooray!!
For me the show wasn't great last night but dance wise things seemed to get better as it went along. I think most couples are on a plateau at the moment which is inevitable given the very high standard that we started out with. Difficult to maintain that pace and like Fifty has said, I think we are slowly seeing who is in for the long haul or not. I've really enjoyed all the shows so far but a few things irritated me last night mainly around the fact that the music and the costumes took a dive and there were more than a couple of ballroom dances that had too much faffing. I really missed Gio and Amanda too - hope all is well with her, it seems a bit mysterious?

Annabel and Johannes - Charleston (7 from me) I think I liked it more than the j udges did. It was the stupid music that got to me. They were styled as for a traditional 1920s Charleston but the music didn't fit at all. I disagreed with CRH and thought there was swivel aplenty and the timing was impeccable especially in the side to side bits. I do get where people are coming from by saying it needed more abandon - I think she did try to relax into it but was still a bit hesitant. CRH for me marked way too low but A nton a bit high. I threw her a vote as I would like to see her stay around for a bit.

Nigel and Katya - Foxtrot (6.5 from me). My score reflects the mistake which was a shame but also despite the theming and costumes (loved Katya's dress - an unusual colour) this was more like an American Smooth to me minus the lifts. The j udges complimented the beginning but for me in a Foxtrot that was faffing. The small bit of Foxtrot was done well and I think he could take dances with more technique. Performance wise it was good.

Eddie and Karen - Samba - (6 from me). I thought he really tried this week to get some samba steps and sequences into the routine. There were lots of issues particularly the 'stop and start' all the way through which was strange, but not sure it was worth a full three marks below everyone else.

Krishnan and Lauren - Quickstep (8 from me) Really enjoyed this one. I thought Krishnan might struggle with the close ballroom and the speed - he has had quite 'stylised' dances the last few weeks which he has really got into. However, I think the footwork was good, particularly that pendulum section in the middle. I suppose it was a bit 'loose' in parts and I kept thinking he might go wrong but he's clearly enjoying and doing well. Go Krishnan!

Angela S and Carlos - American Smooth (7 from me). I think that she danced what she had been given well - she is a good dancer and I think that what the j udges wanted was not possible with the fast tempo of the music and the choreography with didn't do it for me. You could see that she was expecting better comments. It didn't seem to have much of the character of the American Smooth and where was the Foxtrot bit? It was kind of like a fast contemporary routine to me. I didn't like some of Carlos's choreography last year so hope they can show something different next week if they get through.

Ellie and Vito - Paso - ( 9 from me) Dance of the night for me. I don't normally like modern pasos but I really enjoyed this. They were so good together and I thought it was brilliant. I think she nearly knocked his tooth out with excitement in the Clauditorium afterwards.

Layton and Nkita (9 from me). More latin for these two (yawn) Can't fault it of course for the quality of the dance and I do think they are growing into their partnership but for me this was a cabaret routine with a nod to the salsa.

Bobby and Diane - Viennese Waltz (8 from me) I quite liked this. Notwithstanding the height issues I thought he gave this a really good shot and listens to the j udges comments each week. It was good to see them doing full rotations around the floor from start to finish. Although it was fast it was not furious and I thought it did have technique but shame he fell out of the fleckerle. Really liked Diane's dress but what had they dressed Bobby in??

Adam and Luba (Couples Choice - 7 from me ) Usual thing but considering he has been ill and couldn't have had much rehearsal time this week, I think he did quite well but being a Stage School boy this will have played into his hands. I do like Adam though and hope he can get back to where he was with the waltz last week.

Zara and Graziano - (American Smooth - 6 from me) Fair play for doing those incredible lifts but to me they spent too much time on perfecting the lifts and not on the actual dance steps. Unfortunately I felt this all looked a bit awkward overall. The j udges were encouraging in their comments which is right for a beginner, but for me she has not really improved this week.

Angela R and Kai - Argentine Tango (9 from me) A proper Argentine Tango to proper music - for me it always makes such a difference. I think this is the best Argentine Tango that I have seen this early on in the contest. It played nicely to her agility although throughout I was a little distracted by the fact that she didn't have her shoulders down and was a bit frozen with her head and face. Good job though.

For me, Ellie, Angela R, and Krishnan were the most enjoyable, followed by Bobby. On another note - it was so nice to see Amy in the studio.

[B4p]

All in all I think the judges leaderboard fairly reflects the standard of dance last night with the professional partnership rightly at the top (they won’t win once the decision is down to the GBP). We’re beginning to see who’s improving and who’s already plateaued.

I agree 50. If you look at the weekly scoreboard I set up on this site, you can see who is moving up, staying static, and falling behind. I've no doubt that the public will want someone who's had more of the J word in the finals. I'm guessing being on Strictly won't do Layton's stage career any harm even if he's not the winner.

[Twirlie]

Week 5

Was this a slightly less spectacular evening than last week, or was that just my impression.

Annabel and Johannes – Charleton
I was fairly unimpressed by this. A bit staid and placid. I wasn’t sure if this was her fault or Johannes’s choreography. I thought it was a bit tame and almost camp. Not either of their best efforts. A.nton’s 8 was ridiculous as are most of his scores these days.

Nigel and Katya – Foxtrot
SUCH a shame they had that mistake in the middle of the dance. It was wonderful otherwise. So passionate, smooth and exciting. Katya’s dress --- Wow! One of the three great dresses of the night I thought.

Eddie and Karen – Samba
Nah, not very exciting. Cr.aig’s right, it didn’t seem to flow much. Stompy I thought.

Krishnan and Lauren – Quickstep
Absolutely superb. What terrific fun, what exuberance. A great dance, Lauren seems to be a great choreographer, either that or she just simply has the measure of her partner. Whatever, I’m growing to admire her more and more. This was the second of my three favourite dresses and she looked gorgeous in it. I don’t often think Cr.aig talks rubbish. He did tonight. The 8s were deserved.

Angela S and Carlos – American Smooth
Something and nothing I thought. A vague story. Unlike A.nton, I thought it was fairly generic dancing.  The lift was a bit dodgy too.

Ellie and Vito – Paso Doble
One of the great dances of the night. I’m with A,nton and the rest of the panel on this. It was a great dance and everything about it contributed to it’s joy. Ellie was absolutely brilliant.

Layton and Nikita – Salsa
Terrific dance but I just can’t get excited by this pair. It’s just too professional. It’s like a demonstration dance. They’ll get to the final no doubt. Whether they win or not will be up to the popularity of the other finalists.

Bobby and Dianne – Viennese Waltz
Beautiful, romantic, smooth, a joy to watch. They look so good together. C.raig was right -  this dance would fit in a movie – bravo Dianne – great choreography. And this was the third of my three favourite dresses of the night. It suited her so well.

Adam and Luba – Couple’s Choice (Hip Hop)
I wouldn’t recognise Hip Hop if it hit me in the face so I don’t know what this was. It didn’t inspire me however. I also didn’t see much emotion in the dance. Best dance Motsi? Really? What about last week’s waltz? It was much better surely.

Zara and Graziano – American Smooth
Yes – not bad and impressive lifts. More actual dancing would have helped but the lifts were great. She does have a problem with self belief but this was a definite improvement.

Angela R and Kai – Argentine Tango
Pretty brilliant. She really did show off her talent here. The Argentine Tango seems to be, like  Flamenco, the sort of dance where youth and beauty are by no means a requirement. She showed that tonight

A very mixed week I thought. I loved Krishnan, Ellie and Bobby, thought Angela R, Nigel and Zara did OK. I was unimpressed by Annabel, Eddie, Angela S,  and Adam this week. I discount Layton on grounds of being the worst ringer we’ve seen on Strictly for some time. I was also sad that Amanda missed this week and hope she’s better by next Saturday. She’s one of my favourites. Does anyone know what’s wrong with her?

Off to read everyone else’s comments now. See you all at quarter past seven!

[Twirlie]

On another note - it was so nice to see Amy in the studio.,

I so agree. It's a joy to see her there.

[jingle]

All in all I think the judges leaderboard fairly reflects the standard of dance last night with the professional partnership rightly at the top (they won’t win once the decision is down to the GBP).

Yes I agree that his obvious ringer status will probably deter the GBP.  But if we're right and he isn't getting public support my fear would be he may survive countless dance-offs - basically anyone pitted against him is unlikely to stand a chance. That'd be a real shame not just for the other contestants, but also for Layton himself. Much as I dislike his ringer-ness, he seems a nice enough chap and it always looks hurtful when people are repeatedly in the dance-off. I just wish he hadn't been allowed into the competition in the first place.

Anyhow, on to last night. Not the best of shows, I do agree that many seem to have got stuck on a plateau. Just a few thoughts

Annabel - A very neat and synchronised charleston. Didn't set the stage on fire, but at the same time I did feel she was a teensy bit undermarked. CRH scored it the same as Eddie's disaster samba, and overall she scored five points less than Adam's not-very-challenging Couples Choice. So I hope Annabel isn't in the dance off tonight, she doesn't deserve to be
Nigel - too much faffing at the start, shame about the mistake. Loved Katya's dress
Eddie - I really disliked the choreography for this samba, I agreed with CRH that it felt very disjointed
Krishnan - So pleased that they went straight into the dance, with no faffing about. Agree with you Twirlie, Lauren is certainly making a good impression as a pro. The quickstep was maybe a little frantic at points, but I loved that Krishnan looked like he was having an absolute ball. That closing part which he danced solo was just a joy to watch.
Angela S - the routine felt lightweight, and the lift a non-event. I feel she has so much more potential and could've managed something more complex (with the right teacher)
Ellie - music and staging went perfectly to add to the drama, great paso. However I did notice an enormous gap between them in hold at times, so it didn't get a 10 from me
Layton - meh, I just can't get excited about this couple
Bobby - To be honest, I got distracted by his long sleeved thermal vest (had wardrobe forgotten about him?).I think the height difference is affecting his posture in hold which is unfortunate
Adam - Another street routine - not my cup of tea
Zara - more like a Dancing on Ice routine with all the overhead lifts. Felt it a tad overmarked
Angela R - wasn't overly keen on this. She was very vertical at times, rather than forwards into the A frame. I found the black outfit with the dark staging made it difficult to really follow the routine (maybe that was deliberate). Sorry, I'm just not clicking with Angela R.

No idea who'd in the dance off, but I do think it's Eddie's time to go.

[mauveangel09]

Yes I agree that his obvious ringer status will probably deter the GBP.  But if we're right and he isn't getting public support my fear would be he may survive countless dance-offs - basically anyone pitted against him is unlikely to stand a chance. That'd be a real shame not just for the other contestants, but also for Layton himself. Much as I dislike his ringer-ness, he seems a nice enough chap and it always looks hurtful when people are repeatedly in the dance-off. I just wish he hadn't been allowed into the competition in the first place.




.

I think this is a definite scenario that we could see later on - we've seen it before but it is a demoralising scenario and always works out to be unfair.

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